


Stalemate

by DarkSatirist



Category: X-Men: Days of Future Past (2014) - Fandom
Genre: Angst, Chess, Friendship, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-06-19
Updated: 2014-06-19
Packaged: 2018-02-05 09:15:43
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 649
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1813165
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DarkSatirist/pseuds/DarkSatirist
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Set post DOFP. Charles and Erik play a game of chess.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Stalemate

"You didn't let them have me."

Charles looked up from the chess game he had been intently studying, and internally growled. He should have known Erik's offer to just play a game of chess and not talk about anything important was too good to be true.

"No. I didn't," he replied. He moved a pawn forward.

Erik scowled at the board, even though there really were no new developments. He pushed a rook back one space.

"Why?" he wanted to know.

They had been playing the physical game of chess for over an hour, and there had been no pieces lost on either side.

The emotional chess game, however, had been stretching on for much longer than that and there had been too many heavy casualties on both sides.

Charles moved his bishop one square diagonally backward and let out a weary sigh.

"Just because someone stumbles and loses their way, doesn't mean they're not worth saving," he said.

He was quoting words of advice from himself to himself about himself. If that didn't say anything about the current state of Charles' mind, then he didn't know what was.

Erik raised an eyebrow and moved his king over one space.

"So I'm worth saving now?" he wondered.

That was the million dollar question, wasn't it?

Charles pushed his pawn forward, creating a perfect line of pawns across the middle of the chess board.

"I don't know," he confessed.

Erik was quiet, accepting the answer for what it was. He moved his knight forward.

Charles felt obligated to say something.

"You were my best friend," he said slowly and then stopped.

"And I took the things that mattered to you," the other man said softly. "And then blamed you for not fighting harder for them."

"Do you still believe that?" Charles inquired.

The metal bender shrugged. "Nothing in this world comes free," he stated. "But you were—are—one of the few good people left in this world. If anyone deserves a free pass every once in a while, it's you."

Charles didn't know what to say, so he stayed quiet for a few minutes. Their chess game continued on in a useless stalemate.

"Erik," he began again and stopped.

"Just spit it out, Charles."

The telepath responded by moving his queen two spaces to the right and sighing heavily once more.

"I haven't forgotten the good in you," he said softly. "There still is, somewhere, deep inside. I can't in good conscience let the humans kill you."

"You're not going to be able to save me, Charles," Erik murmured sadly. "I chose my path a long time ago."

"Our paths aren't immutable," Charles argued. "We proved that in D.C. You can change, Erik."

"I don't want to," Erik replied. "I am who I was made to be and I wouldn't know who I was otherwise."

"You are not a monster," Charles snapped.

Erik smiled sorrowfully. "Yes, I am."

They played in silence for a few more minutes and still, no pieces were to be lost.

"I could never let the humans have you," Charles admitted. "No matter how many sins you commit, I can't let that happen."

"Why not?" Erik asked, surprised.

"Because they would kill you," the telepath admitted simply. "They would torture you and they would kill you. After everything that's happened to you in your life, I cannot allow that to happen."

"I don't want your pity," the metal bender said sharply.

"It's not pity, Erik. I know better than to pity you."

Charles knocked his king over—there was nothing to be accomplished in this game, anyway. He wheeled himself back from the table a few paces and then stopped.

"I haven't forgiven you," he said. "And I haven't forgotten what you've done. But as long as I'm alive, Erik, I will not allow you to be tortured and killed. You have my word."


End file.
